Bahrain GP going ahead

Updated
April 20, 2012 19:27:00

The Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix is getting underway, despite calls from human rights groups and British politicians for its cancellation. Human rights activists say the event is a public relations tool for the Kingdom's rulers who are trying to gloss over its crack-down on pro-democracy campaigners but the government says the country is actually under more media scrutiny because of the event.

Amnesty International says excessive force is still being used on protesters calling for democratic reform.

Officials from the Bahraini government say the Grand Prix is a good thing for the country. But there's a strong police presence and the former British policeman who is heading security says they'll respond with live rounds if fired upon.

Samantha Donovan reports.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Last year's Bahrain Grand Prix was cancelled because of the violent crack-down on pro-democracy campaigners. But it appears Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone is determined this weekend's event will to go ahead.

NABEEL RAJAB: We are not against Formula One because we are against Formula One. Every part of our nation likes to enjoy this sport but we are again, it's rewarding dictators.

Formula One in Bahrain has been taken as a PR for the ruling elite; the repressive dictators who are ruling the country.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Britain's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has told the BBC the Bahrain Grand Prix should be cancelled because of what she called the violent suppression of democratic protesters.

She said the event sends the wrong signal and called on British drivers, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton to pull out of the event.

Speaking to reporters in Bahrain Jenson Button made it clear he wasn't going to talk about what he called "outside issues".

Tom Malinowski is in Bahrain as a representative of Human Rights Watch. He says the Kingdom's rulers see the Grand Prix as a public relations tool.

TOM MALINOWSKI: It is a political event though; no-one should make any mistake about that. The government wanted Formula One here, not because they are interested in cars going around a track.

They brought it here because they want to use it to show the world that everything is okay in Bahrain right now and everything is not okay in Bahrain and it is important that folks around the world who are watching this race understand the reality of what is going on here.

SAMANTHA DONOVAN: Eric Silbermann is a spokesman for the Toro Rosso team which includes Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo.

He's told the ABC that within the circuit it's "business as usual" but airport-type screening has been installed outside. He says there's a heavy police presence everywhere.

Security at the track is being overseen by John Yates, the former assistant commissioner of the UK's Metropolitan Police. The Guardian newspaper says Mr Yates has told reporters the police can't guarantee security at the event and that he'd be a fool to say they could.

Mr Yates is also quoted as saying if protesters started firing live ammunition the police would respond with live ammunition - but he didn't think that was likely. He suspects protests on the route and around the villages are more probable.

Some journalists including two from the Associated Press say they've been prevented from entering Bahrain to cover the event.

But Fahad al-Binali, an official from the Bahrain Information Ministry, says the country is actually under closer scrutiny because of the Formula One race.

FAHAD AL-BINALI: There is a small minority that are against it, saying that hosting the Formula One would give the government the opportunity to whitewash what has been done and present everything as if it is fine.

But if you look at the news coverage and you look at the reality on the ground, it's quite the opposite. I mean because of the Formula One, media scrutiny has increased; because of the Formula One, protesters are getting more access to journalists and getting their voices out there to journalists who might have not been in the country if not for the Formula One.